About this role
Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and motivatedBand 7 Clinical Lead to join the Outpatients team at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust.
As the Outpatient Sister/Charge Nurse, you will work closely with the Outpatients leadership team across the Trust to ensure outpatient areas consistently deliver safe, high-quality, patient-centred care in line with the Trust's vision, values, and behaviours. You will demonstrate strong leadership and communication skills, supporting and inspiring teams compassionately while driving continuous service improvement and positive change.
Although this role is primarily based at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, the successful candidate will be expected to work flexibly across UHD sites to support an integrated Trust-wide outpatient service. This includes occasional weekend working and participation in ad-hoc or rostered site nurse shifts.
Outpatient services are often one of the first points of contact for patients, carers, and visitors attending hospital. Teams provide support for a wide range of needs, from health advice and guidance to supporting individuals receiving life-changing news affecting their physical and mental wellbeing.
Providing compassionate, effective, and responsive outpatient care is essential to ensuring patients and their families receive the highest possible standard of experience and support.
Interview date: 24th June 2026
Main duties of the job
The Band 7 Clinical Lead will provide professional and operational leadership to the Outpatients nursing team, ensuring safe, effective, high-quality, patient-centred care in line with Trust values and objectives. The post holder will manage the day-to-day running of the Outpatients Department, ensuring efficient service delivery while supporting quality improvement and service development.
Key responsibilities include leading nursing teams across outpatient areas, promoting evidence-based practice, and ensuring compassionate care and an excellent patient experience. The post holder will maintain clinical competence by undertaking clinic sessions and supporting junior staff development.
The role includes workforce planning, coordinating staffing for clinics, and leading the Trust appraisal process to identify training and development needs. The successful candidate will work closely with multidisciplinary teams and provide operational and clinical leadership, including site nurse cover when required.
The post holder will support clinical governance, risk management, incident reporting, and quality standards alongside the Outpatient Matron. They will also ensure a safe environment through adherence to Trust policies and procedures. Flexibility is essential, including cross-site and weekend working to meet service demands.
About us
UHD are investing, developing and transforming Trust services in line with the New Hospital Programme. As part of this, some services may move site this year or next, either temporarily or permanently. Recruiting Managers will be happy to answer any service-specific questions at interview.
If a role or service relocates as part of a planned move, excess mileage will not be reimbursed. Travel from home to the new work base will be classed as a normal commute. Any other changes will be managed under Trust or national terms and conditions.
UHD has active networks including Women's, BAME, Pride, EU, Pro Ability, and Armed Forces. We support Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant interview schemes.
AI tools may be used, but applications must honestly reflect your own skills and experience. Integrity is key to our recruitment process.
Job description Job responsibilities
To understand the role in more detail please read the full job description and person specification documents which are attached to this advert.
Person Specification
Essential & Desirable Essential
Previous Band 6 experience in NHS setting Registered Nurse with current NMC registration
Desirable
Band 7 experience Experience of managing budgets Managing outpatient clinics
Essential and desirable Essential
Leading a service
Desirable
Experience of managing complaints
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust
Address Royal Bournemouth Hospital
Castle lane east
Bournemouth
BH77DW
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.uhd.nhs.uk/careers (Opens in a new tab)